Justice & The UCC

Scroll down for links to recent UCC articles & commentaries from the UCC website or UCC Facebook page.

UCC leaders reject Trump’s dire call on border security, barrier wall

January 09, 2019 Written by Connie Larkman

The national leaders of the United Church of Christ are speaking out in response to President Trump’s prime time address Tuesday night, noting, “We are faced with a moral crisis as a country, not a border crisis, nor a national emergency.”

Trump, appealing the American people to spend billions on border security to end “a growing humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart, a crisis of the soul,” urged Democrats to continue negotiations to bring an end to the partial federal government shutdown over border wall funding, which is now in its third week.

Rejecting the President’s argument for a “steel barrier” on the United States southern border UCC executives underscored the denomination’s long history of extravagant welcome, welcoming refugees, asylees and immigrants no matter what their documentation status because we believe all people are equal in the eyes of God.

“As people of faith, we believe in the God of abundance and not the myth of scarcity and xenophobia,” said the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, United Church of Christ general minister and president. “Manufactured fear has always been a way to justify dehumanization of marginalized communities. We are faced with a moral crisis as a country, not a border crisis, nor a national emergency.”

“This President’s government shutdown is penalizing millions of Americans who are missing critical services,” Dorhauer continued. “Over 800,000 federal employees won’t be paid on Friday. Shutdowns and emergency declarations are not the way to govern a democratic nation. We cannot betray our core values as a country and cast aside the most vulnerable. There is agreement across the political spectrum that our immigration system needs fixing, but a border wall is not the answer.”

“President Trump is already building his wall,” said the Rev. Traci Blackmon, associate general minister, Justice & Local Church Ministries. “In spite of bipartisan support for effective and humane border security, the president is building a wall between political parties that should never represent partisanship at the expense of people. For 800,000 federal employees and their families he is building a wall between financial stability and scarcity by shutting down government until he can have his way. And should President Trump misuse executive power, to usurp legislative opposition, and declare a national emergency where he knows none exists, he will effectively build a wall between the executive branch of government and what democracy is intended to be. We call upon the moral conscious of our nation to not let this be so. ”

“The UCC has a long history of supporting disaster ministries and making sure refugees are resettled. We see real crisis all the time. There is no national security emergency at the border. This is a manufactured crisis, and the administration is now moving forward with an undemocratic power grab because Congress and the public refuse to go along with these immoral policies,” said the Rev. Jim Moos, associate general minister, Global Engagement & Operations, co-executive, Global Ministries. “Now we must join together across this country with a unified moral voice for compassionate immigration policies that respect the dignity of all people.”

The United Church of Christ has a vision of a just world for all. In this world all are welcomed, everyone is loved and justice is inherent. The 3 Great Loves is the denomination’s opportunity to express how our Love of Neighbor, Love ofChildren, andLove of Creationwork together to address the inequities in our current world.

Over the course of the next two years, through the lens of the 3 Great Loves, the United Church of Christ tells the story of how we are impacting and transforming the world, united in common purpose and mission.

During these upcoming two years, there will be moments of special invitation to participate in this denomination-wide undertaking. One by one we will focus on each of the 3 Great Loves in service to our communities.

What would it look like for an entire denomination to commit to a shared mission? How much impact could an entire denomination have if it worked as one on a mission that mattered?

We’re about to find out. We have done this before, and not that long ago. Five years ago, the United Church of Christ launched Mission One – an initiative to help alleviate hunger. Four years ago, we launched Mission 4/1 Earth – a concentrated effort toward restoring health to the planet.

This year, and for the next two years until General Synod 2019, we call the faith communities of the United Church of Christ to engage in the Three Great Loves mission campaign.

In response to our Purpose statement – a call to love our neighbor as ourselves; and to our Vision statement – to build a just world for all: we are asking our congregations to seek ways to live out a commitment in mission to the love of children, the love of neighbor, and the love of creation.

How does your church embody its love for children?

How does your church incarnate the love of Jesus in seeking to love your neighbor?

How does your church uphold the mandate to steward the Earth by demonstrating a love for creation?

Together, we can change the world.

United in God’s spirit and inspired by God’s grace, we can love all, welcome all, and seek justice for all: for the children, for our neighbors, and for creation.

We can, we will, we must make a difference.

Let our love light the way to a better world, a more just world – for the children, for our neighbor, for creation.

John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President

Special St. John’s UCC Event: “Dialoguing with our Muslim Neighbors”

Following the 10:15 worship service on March 26, 2017, we had an opportunity to learn from and dialogue with Muhammad Fazili, Mohammad Aziz and other members from the Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge. St. John’s members shared a lunch & discussion with them at their mosque on October 22, 2017.

“United in Spirit, and inspired by God’s grace, we love all, welcome all, and seek justice for all.”

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray…. Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land. We now must stand, true to our God and true to our native land. Let what we do in this time help both America and our denomination become what each name aspires to: A UNITED States of America and a UNITED Church of Christ. And may it be our love of, our welcome to, and our justice for all that unites us.

St. John’s is a member of the United Church of Christ denomination, which has over 1 million members. Within the individual churches, and with individual members, there are differences of opinion on issues that affect us socially and politically, but the UCC and its predecessors have always stood up for Justice in the name of Jesus Christ.

On this website page we will link recent articles from the UCC website which discuss the UCC news and opinions on topical issues. Not all of our members agree with the UCC national opinions, but please respect that these are the views of the denomination and of many in our congregation.

“What does God require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8